What is the meter saying?

gem4

This may seem basic but only just had my water meter fitted on 15th June so not sure what I should be looking for in a reading.
2 weeks after installation I looked down the hole and read '14'. Can someone tell me what it is 14 of please? units, cu.mtrs or what? Also how would I relate this reading to the cost? If it was 14 after 14 days thats just 1 'something' per day. Is it good or bad?

Cardew

Cubic Metres.

Depends on your supply company - e.g. Thames Water, Severn Trent etc.

For instance in Severn Trent you pay 108.77 pence per cubic metre for the water and 73.23 pence for sewage per cubic metre.

So assuming your meter started at zero on 15th June(it probably didn't) the 14 cu metres would cost £25. There are smaller standing charges per year.

You should check the meter after a week or so to get an idea how much you are using. The average is 0.15 cu mtrs per day per person in the house.

The charging structures vary greatly across the country. Some have low charges for water and sewage and higher standing charges. You can find out on-line.

gem4

Thanks for your reply. I hunted out my booklet and South Staffs are 77p per cu.mtr and 73p sewerage plus annual standing charges. However, the '14' read on the meter is now '28' after 31 days, (it did start at 'zero' when it was fitted).
It surely cant relate to cu mtr unless i'm reading it wrong. That would mean if I'm using 1 per day it would amount to 365 per year............ estimated average use for myself and daughter is only 117 per year. According to their estimate if I was a high water user it would only be 142 per year.
Unfortunately my meter does not appear to look like either of the two options they have pictured in the booklet. The read at the moment says 002810 the last two digits are red so I guess I disregard them. I dont see any markings on the meter to indicate if the black digits are whole units or not.
Am I confusing anyone? I'm certainly well confused........lol

Cardew

Your consumption is certainly too high.

The average is 0.15 cu mtrs per person per day. So for 2 people 0.3 per day and for 31 days it should be approx 10 cu mtrs. which is in line with South Staffs estimate.

You may have a leak! With all the water off look at the 2 red digits and see if they are moving.

deanos

It may be correct, how many people are living in the property, showers or baths once a day or every other day , washing machine how many times per week, water the grass or plants , dishwasher ?

There are so many factors of course there is an average but not everyone uses the exact same amount of water ,if you list what you use like i have mentioned above it will be easier to help.

Also as mentioned above check for a leak , turn off the stoptap off inside the property and see if the meter is still moving if it is you have a leak.

gem4

Hi,
Meter reading now 29.76 after 33 days :eek:
Turned of stop tap as fully as I could, one of the little dials still goes round slowly.

Rang SStaffs water and got a snotty bint who talked over me before I could finish my sentences in a real condescending manner.
She said turning the stop tap off is no good....I need to read the meter before I leave the house for at least 4 hours, then read it again when I come back. She said the numbers shouldnt have moved at all.

She also said that because they hadnt had the details from Integra about my having a meter yet, she didnt know what sort it was, so I would have to wait another 4 weeks as they are 2 months behind.
She said the average cost for 2 people is approx £20 per month. There is me and teen daughter.

Here is our usage.
total showers per week 12
washing machine 3 - 4 loads per week
small dishwasher avg 3 times per week
car washing never, or once a year if its lucky and I'm in the mood
garden watering from the water butt or bowls of used water
hose pipe hardly ever

In addition, i implement all water saving tips, keep cold water in fridge for drinks, hippo's in loo cisterns, fill kettle to minimum, save used water for plants etc.

I would consider the above usage to be more 'low to average' than 'average to high'

However, if there's a leak its up to the housing association I rent from to put it right but there's quite a long stretch of path from the road where the meter is to the house. I was even beginning to think that they've put the meter on a neighbours pipe instead of mine.

Cardew

It seems pretty certain it is a leak.

I need to read the meter before I leave the house for at least 4 hours

That is pretty good advice - leave it longer if you can, and take accurate readings.

deanos

You dont need to wait any amount of time, if you turn it off at the stoptap inside the property and the meter is moving then you do have a leak.

Looks like you are using 1 cube per day and it does look like high usage and possible a leak,

However DONT get the lanlord to fix the supply yet as if you do you wont be able to claim back a pro rata refund on water lost, just looked on SSW website and they say they offer a once only repair per propery for leaks, ive had it many times where customers have repaired a leak and they cant claim back for water lost and if they had contacted us they would have got there money back and a free repair.

Wally_2

I only use approx 35 Cubic Metres in a year and pay approx. £135. I live on my own and keep the water usage down to a mimimum. You may be in for a hefty bill.

gem4

Many thanks for the tips guys. I tried my stop tap but its a bit stiff and I dont think its turning off 100%. However I'm alone in the house at the moment so I've just read the meter and will read it again after an hour or so of not using anything. If that doesnt show any satisfactory results I'll have to wait until I can leave it for longer.

Ken68

Useful site here Gem.....http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2006-05-25b.73324.h

Note the different tariffs in my area (Anglian Water). Perhaps S. Staffs have something similiar to SoLow rate (75 cubic m. and below p.a.)